Alabama high school graduation rate is 72 percent

In this photo taken Oct. 18, 2012, Savannah Arteaga discusses a stain glass design for an upcoming art project with a classmate at Polaris High School in Orem, Utah. Polaris is an innovative new high school seeing early success with students most at risk of failing to graduate in Alpine School District. Polaris was born this year after more than a year of collaboration among officials trying to find a better way to help students who have fallen behind in earning credits, whether because of pregnancy, family trouble, legal problems, health issues or drug abuse. (AP Photo/Daily Herald, Jim McAuley)

AP

Associated Press

Published: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 11:22 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 6:19 p.m.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Federal education officials say Alabama has a high school graduation rate of 72 percent among all students, ranking it behind neighboring Tennessee and Mississippi, but ahead of Georgia and Florida.

The U.S. Department of Education released the data this week. It details four-year high school graduation rates in 2010-11 - the first year for which all states used a common, rigorous measure.

Federal officials say varying methods of graduation rates states used previously were unreliable for state-by-state comparisons.

However, education officials said in a statement that the new data released Monday allow for such comparisons and can be used by states, districts and schools to promote greater accountability and increase graduation rates.

Among states bordering Alabama, Tennessee scored highest with an overall rate of 86 percent.

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